The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has denied media reports claiming it granted special privileges to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), an international NGO based in Rotterdam with regional offices in Nairobi.
In a statement released Saturday, October 11, 2025, by Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’Oei, the Ministry clarified that the Host Country Agreement (HCA) granted to GCA followed due legal and procedural processes.
“It is well known that the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs is mandated by the Privileges and Immunities Act (CAP 179 Laws of Kenya) with the responsibility of negotiating and concluding Host Country Agreements with Inter-Governmental Organizations and External Agencies as well as the administration of diplomatic privileges and immunities in the country,” read the statement.
The clarification comes after content creator Lyn Ngugi and several other Kenyans expressed concern over the immunity extended to GCA.
According to the statement, GCA applied for Host Country Status in July 2023 to facilitate the operation of its Nairobi Regional Office, which supports Kenya’s climate diplomacy and green growth agenda.
The agreement was finalized on April 20, 2025, through Legal Notice No. 82 signed by the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and later ratified by Parliament on September 30, 2025.
The Ministry emphasized that GCA’s privileges are standard and similar to those granted to over 170 other non-state entities operating in Kenya since 1984, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and WWF. These include tax exemptions on select goods, immunity for actions taken in good faith, and work permits.
“These privileges include tax exemption on specific goods relevant to the organization's functioning. protection from legal suits with respect to good faith actions of the organization and work permits,” said the Ministry.
PS Sing’Oei further dismissed claims that the decision to grant Host Country Agreement (HCA) status to GCA was influenced by external political pressure, terming them baseless.
On July 8, 2025, GCA broke ground on its new headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, becoming the first international organization to maintain dual headquarters in both the Global South and Global North.
A statement on its website reads, "the bold step underscores GCA’s commitment to equal partnership between regions, recognizing that effective climate adaptation solutions must be co-designed and co-owned by communities across the world."